The Best Boxing Movies: #10 "Somebody Up There Likes Me" (1956)

Tweet

Hollywood has been making boxing pictures since the advent of talkies and remains a viable genre. This list is subjective based on opinion. “The Champ,” “Gentleman Jim” and other 1930s pictures were discounted due to hokeyness and unconvincing fight scenes. I did not care for Ali as “The Greatest” or Will Smith as “Ali.” “The Great White Hope” was more social commentary. “The Fighter” was overrated. There are countless average pictures like “Southpaw.” “The Hurricane” gave pause due to Denzel Washington’s performance as Ruben Carter but still more social commentary. Paul Newman’s second movie “Somebody Up There Likes Me” made him a star. The Robert Wise directed story of legendary middleweight champion Rocky Graziano is one of the best boxing biographies. Newman spent extensive time with Graziano studying his moves and mannerisms while training hard in the ring to be convincing. The gritty movie does not hold back on the crude Graziano’s terrible childhood and parental relationship, scrapes with the law and grinding his way to the top in the corrupt boxing game. The climatic recreation of the fame Graziano-Tony Zale bout is well staged. “Somebody Up There Likes Me” is a must for boxing aficionados.